NATO Secretary General calls for vigilance despite decline in Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities

Washington, June 25 (KUNA) -- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on Thursday for continued vigilance despite what he described as significant damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, emphasizing that Iran remains a security challenge for the Alliance.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C., less than two weeks before the NATO summit scheduled to take place in Ankara, Turkey, Rutte said, “Allies have agreed for more than a decade that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon. The recent U.S. actions have dealt significant blows to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but we must remain vigilant.”

He added that Iran “represents a challenge in its own right, but these countries act in concert, and we can easily agree that they do not take our best interests into account,” in reference to Russia, China, and North Korea.

The NATO Secretary General considered Russia “our current and long-term threat. It spends 40 percent of its budget on defense, produces military equipment around the clock, and is rapidly learning from the war it is waging against Ukraine.”

He noted that China “continues to modernize its forces and expand its nuclear capabilities without any transparency, with massive investments in military technology and innovation, while North Korea continues to expand its nuclear program and gains important expertise from its support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

Rutte urged strengthening efforts toward a “genuine transatlantic industrial defense revolution,” highlighting the need to increase production and accelerate innovation to address security threats.

NATO leaders are preparing to hold their next summit in Ankara, where Rutte said the Alliance will present new plans to enhance defense spending, expand military capabilities, and support Ukraine. (End) A.S.J. / H.S.S.